IRS to furlough nearly half its workforce due to government shutdown | US news
The Internal Revenue Service said Wednesday it will furlough nearly half of its employees — about 34,000 workers — amid the ongoing government shutdown, making it significantly harder for U.S. taxpayers to receive aid.
One expression On Wednesday, the IRS said it would begin furloughs on Oct. 8 for “all except already defined exception and exempt employees” “due to a reduction in benefits.”
“Exempt or nonexempt employees are furloughed and placed on unpaid and off-duty status until further notice; however, all employees must plan to report to work for the next tour of duty,” the IRS said, adding that employees will be given up to four hours to complete work requirements and receive official leave notice.
permission will leave Only 53.6%, or 39,870 IRS employees, are working due to the government shutdown.
On standard leave letter Provided to all affected employees, IRS human capital officer David Traynor confirmed that furloughed employees will not be able to work and will not be paid during the shutdown.
The National Treasury Employees Association, which represents IRS employees, condemned the decision along with its president, Doreen Greenwald. saying On Wednesday: “Due to the government shutdown, the American people have lost access to many vital services provided by the IRS.
The statement continued: “As the closure continues, we expect waiting times, backlogs and delays in the implementation of tax law changes to increase.” “Taxpayers across the country will now have a much harder time getting the help they need just as they prepare to file extension returns that are due next week.”
The IRS’s decision to furlough its employees came a day after a meeting at the White House memory During Trump’s first term, he suggested that furloughed workers may not receive back pay, despite a 2019 law he signed during the last government shutdown; The Fair Treatment of Government Employees Act 2019 (Gefta) provides for automatic payments to government employees after future closures.
In his letter, Traynor said that “regardless of scheduled payment dates, compensation should be paid to employees at the earliest possible date after the statute of limitations has expired.”
